Furnace-retort.



J. R. FORTUNE.

FURNACE. RETORT.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 23, 1914.

1, 180,287. Patented Apr. 25, 1916.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN R.

FORTUNE, 01Ev DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR. TO MURPHY IRON WORKS, OF

DETROIT, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION OF MICHIGAN.

FURNACE-RETORT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 25, 1916.

Application filed November 23, 1914. Serial No. 873,572.

' which the following is a specification.

Underfeed furnace constructions in which the fuel retorthas a reciprocatory bottom or floor for feeding the fuel,that is, pushing it inwardly and upwardly have heretofore been proposed; but one of the disadvantages I tionary portions.

slightly into the joint is soon discharged, as f thedisposition or inclinationof the joint J makes itself-cleaningand facilitates the e I forming'a part of this specification, -aiid 'I have illustrated thepreferred embodiment of this style of stoker structures has been the lack of proper joints between the sliding part ofthe retort and the cooperating'sta- The prime object of the present invention is the improvement of such joints so as to effectively prevent the coal from interfering with the correct functioning of the structural members.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention, not only the floor or bottom wall of 'the retort is reciprocable, but also the lower or adjacent portions of the retort side-walls are made to slide with the floor, and prefer ably form an integral part thereof. The joints therefore are part way up the sides of the retort and are between the stationary and movable portions of the side walls. It has been found that by making these joints inclined,that is, converging downwardly toward the I retort-the fuel is effectually prevented from entering them, and cannot therefore clog the joints and interrupt or interfere with the reciprocation of the parts.

Owing to the-downward inclination or slopin'g of the spaces or joints between the slid 7 any coal in the to-overflow onto the opposite grate sections, 95

the bottom wall or floor 14 of the receptacle 'hasifone or ing and stationary parts,

retort at the joint which might be pushed pulsion of anything which may enterQ In order that those skilled in this art have a full understanding I of. the invention,

of the-same in" the accompanyingidrawing throughout'the views of which like refer trates portionsof the side grate ars', and

Fig. 2 is a-fragmentary, verticalplongitudi- "the center of the retort. upper portions 19, 19 of the retort side-walls nal section through the center of the retort, on line 22 of Fig. 1. v

In this particular. embodiment of the in vention,fthe structure is supplied with two side supports 10 and 11, bolted together near the bottom at 12, and adapted to support the fuel retort and the upper ends of the ad-. acent grate bars. On its inner side, each of these supports is equipped with a ledge or shelf 13, 13, on which the sliding part of the retort is supported andadapted to reciprocate. The bot tom 'wall 14 of the retort is provided on its: sneer face at its two edges with depending stiffening ribs or flanges 15,

15, and the lower portions 16, 16 of the side walls of the retort project upwardly from the margins of the floor or bottom wall 14, and are preferably, though not necessarily, cast integral therewith. At their upper edges, these Walls 16, 1C are provided with outwardly projecting ribs 17, 17, which have flat or plane bottom surfaces resting and riding on the top faces of the supporting ribs 13, .13. The top surfaces of these ribs are inclined at 18, 18, as illustrated. That is to say, they converge downwardly toward The stationary or are secured by means of bolts 20, 20 to the side supports 10 and 11, and their lower .85

faces are inclined ore beveled at 21,21, to correspond to or match the inclination of the surfaces 18, 18, so that these coactingsurfaces form downwardly converging joints. The grate bars 22, from opposite sides of the retort, as is clearly shown I 'In order to carry the coal rearwardly of the retort and also force it upwardly so'as.

more fuel pushers 23', which dur- ;g the rearward. reciprocation of the retort cor- 1 push the coal rearwardly. andtup- 'cipal feature of this invention is the character of the oints 1821, which are so con- 105 structed as to prevent the entrance of coal thereto and to facilitate its discharge if any of'-;the fuel should ,find access to the joints. That iszto say, th 'joi nts are inclined, and consequently tend, both by their disposino 22 incline downwardly ardly, but which, owing to' their shapei lor loo tionand inclination and the relative reciprocatiorr of the parts, to .quickly dislodge any fuel or other matter which might find access to them. I have found that the employment of these joints prevents the coal from in any way interfering with-the proper reciprocation of the sliding bottom wall and the ortio'ns of the side walls carried there y.

While I have herein indicated only one 7 style of structure embodying this invention, it is to be understood that the invention isnot limited and restricted to the precise and exact details of construction set forth, be-

cause these may be modified within reasonable limits without departing from the heart and substance of the invention and without sacrificing any of the substantial benefits and advantages.

In this application I have illustrated and described one desirable style of structure,

' but it should be remembered that this inclined joint feature need not necessarily be located between stationary and movable parts of the retort side-walls but may in some instances be as advantageously employed between the retort bottom-wall or floor on which the fuel rests and the sidewalls.

t I claim:

1. In an underfeed-furnace Stoker-construction, a fuel retort having its floor and the lower-portions of its side walls longitudinally reciprocable, the joints between the l tions and the lower edges of the stationary side-wall portions being downwardly converging, substantially as described.

3. In an underfeed-furnace stoker-con struction, a fuel retort having a stationary upper part and a reciprocatory lower part,

the joint between the two parts being downwardly inclined toward the interior of the retort, substantially as described.

4. In an underfeed-furnace stoker-co'n- -struction, a'fuel retort having a stationary side-Wall and a reciprocatory part on which the fuel is adapted to rest, the joint between said side-wall and reciprocatory part being downwardly inclined toward the interior of the retort, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN R. FORTUNE.

Witnesses:

IDA M. YANKLE, OLIN HARVEY. 

